Colorado Recreational Pot Sales Reach Record in June: $24.7 Million

Colorado Recreational Pot Sales Total $24.7 Million in June, a New Record

Marijuana saleswoman Marissa Dodd talks to a customer about different varieties of marijuana available at the Dr. Reefer marijuana dispensary at the University of Colorado in Boulder

Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images

Sales of recreational marijuana in Colorado reached a new record in June, with dispensaries selling $24.7 million worth of weed, reports the Associated Press. That marks a 19 percent increase from May. In the first six months of 2014, recreational marijuana sales in Colorado totaled $115 million, which has translated into $20 million for the taxman, notes Colorado Public Radio. Recreational and medical pot sales totaled a whopping $308 million during the January-June period. While medical sales continue to outpace recreational purchases, the trend could soon shift as more recreational stores open. There are around 120 recreational pot dispensaries in the state, compared to some 500 medical storefronts.

Meanwhile, stores sold a little less than $3.8 million of weed in Washington in July, the first month of legal pot sales in the state. That would translate into a little more than $1 million in cash for state coffers, according to the Associated Press. “It’s off to a healthy start, considering that the system isn’t fully up and running yet,” said Brian Smith, a spokesman for the Washington Liquor Control Board.

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Earlier in the week, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment released the results of a survey that revealed a slight drop in the percentage of teenagers who have used marijuana in the last month even as the number of high school students in the state who believe pot is harmful has also declined, reports Reuters. The percentage of teenagers who believe marijuana poses “a moderate to serious risk” declined four percentage points to 54 percent. Even so, the number who acknowledged taking marijuana in the past month declined two percentage points to 20 percent.

Daniel Politi has been contributing to Slate since 2004 and wrote the "Today's Papers" column from 2006 to 2009. You can follow him on Twitter @dpoliti.